Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
130~9i2
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FIELD ~F THE INVENTION
Multiple drawer file cabinets havin~ a lock system
preventing moving any other drawer to open position wnen one
only of the drawers is already open.
~uu~ ROUMD OF THE INVENTION
Many file cabinet~ open to such an extent and hold such
heavy material as to tend to and actually do tip over
forwardly if more than a single drawer is open. This
tilting may be injurious to the person and it is very
desirable to avoid it. Interlocks have been suggested in
the past, see U.S. Patents 4,429,930, February 7, 1984;
4,303,287, Decenber 1, 1981; and 4,298,236, November 3, 1981
as examples of this art; but all prior such devices are not
completely satisfactory as to operation, cost, and even
noise, and an improved interlock device is presented in this
case that i8 easier to install and smoother in operation,
re positive in action. Other advantages will become more
clear hereina~ter.
Sl~*UgY OF THE INVENTION
In a substantially conventional file cabinet, there is
sn operating device on each drawer such as a laterally
extending fixed pin, and in a ~ixed position on the casing
there is an o~cillatable actuator, there being such an
actuator for each drawer, each actuator being aligned with
its pin. There i8 a projection on each actuator to engage
(and disengage from) a vertical string, row or line of
discrete elements, e.g. balls, on the casing. The motion of
the drawer towards open position swings the actuator which
is thereby caused to move it~ projection from sn inoperative
position to a position engaged at least partly between a
p~ir of contiguous balls, etc., separating them and causing
the entire string or line to become tightly interengaged.
This in effect converts the row or line of bslls from a
loose, relaxed condition to a condition wherein they are
tightly interengaged, in a tense condition that may be
referred to as locked.
The pin on the drawer then leaves the actuator as the
drawer i9 . more fully opened, and on return to closed
position once again impinges on the oscillatable actuator,
returning it and it~ projection to ball-iree condition.
When the ball8 are loose, free, or relaxéd, any drawer m~y
be opened a~ above; when the balls are tensed, tight, or
locked, no ~urther drawer can be opened, as the locked
together b~118 are su~ficient to prevent any further
projection ~ro~ entering the string of balls. Should two or
more drawers be attempted to be opened simultaneously, all
balls will be locked be~ore even one drawer is opened, so no
drawer is opened, 80 no drawer will open.
13~09~:~
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is perspective view partly cut away showing the
general relation of the locking system to an otherwise
conventional file cabinet;
Fig. 2 is a view in elevation showing the locking
system per se with a single drawer open;
Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section looking
in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;
and
Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the
relationship of the locking balls and the actuator ball.
E~U~q~YlED EM~OD~MENT OF THE INVENTION
A generally conventional filing cabinet is shown in
Fig. 1, as having a rear wall 10, top wall 12, and side wall
14, with a series of drawers 15, of whioh there may be as
many as required, but re than one. These drawers comFtrise
a "stack" o~ drawers, and typically, tend to tip the cabinet
~orwardly should re than one drawer be pulled to open
po~ition, There is o~ course a support for each drawer
comprising telescoFtically exter~able slides, etc., but such
structure i8 all old and well-krown and need not be shown,
but each drawer can be individually drawn to open position
~nd closed as will be clear without such showing in this
case.
A vertical receptor, track, or the like 16, is mounted
in vertical relation to one or both side walls 14 at the
inner aspect th~ereof, facing the stack of drawers. Each
such track contains a ~tring, row, or line of smell,
discrete elements 18, resting one upon the next below to the
extent necessary for them to correspond spacially with the
number of drewers. The pertinent fact is that these
elements do not quite fill the track vertically as will
become clear hereinafter. However, the receptor or track 16
3~ is open at the front, by reason o~ slot 20 which makes the
elements 18 accessible ~rom the front, i.e., at the side
facing the drawers, but this slot is narrow enough to
restrain the elements, as in their loose condition, to a
vertical row or line. The elements 18 are "loo~e", because
they do not quite completely fill the receptor or track,
which acts as a tube in which they are held.
For each drawer there is a plate 22 appropriately
secured to the side wall 14 across the reeeptor track 16 by
any means, such as ~crews 24, and these plates each provide
a swivel mount for sn actuator 26, as by means o~ a pivot
pin 28, or the like on the plate. The actuator herein has a
radial slot 30 defined by a longer arm 32 and sp~ced shorter
arm 34 tangentially arranged a~ in Fig. 2. Offset from the
axi~ of the actuator i8 a ball 36, or similar object, held
130~912
in a convenient recess 37 in plate 22 and in actuator 26 as
at 38, see Figs. 3 and 5. Thus, with the actuator swung to
the right or left, the ball 36 is forced thereby partly into
slot 20, see Fig. 5, and impinges upon elements 18 tending
to separate them and thus effectively lock the entire
string, line, or row of balls 18 into a fixed, tensed
condition. In this situation, no other actuator can be
turned sufficiently to cause its ball 36 to move any
elements 18, i.e., the tensed, locked elements 18 will not
move to accommodate any other ball 36 until such time as the
open drawer is closed, and its actuator returns to position
releasing the ball 36 so it is ineffective to lock elements
18.
To facilitate this action, the sides of recess 38 are
chamfered as shown in Fig. 5, wherein the ball 36 is shown
in dotted lines in its inwardmost projection into the line
of elements 18, which illustrates the forcing of ball 36 in
the line oP balls. ~all 36 is forced out of the slot 20 by
the actuator 26, to solid line position when the actuator
returns to original, upright position.
The receptor track 16 is preferablably equipped with a
small spring 39 at at least one end to receive the last
element 18 in the line under pressure ~rom b~ll 36. Spring
39 will close to substantially solid condition, or exp~nd
under release of pressure to position the stack of elements
18. Also, ~nother spring can be used at the other end of
the line of elements if found to be desirable.
Thu~, but a single drawer may be opened at any one time
and should two drawers be attempt~d to be opened together,
they will cause interblockage of each other. In the
drawings, a simple pin 40 fixed to each drawer at an
appropriate spot works the actuator by entry into slot 30 as
the drawer closes, pushing the actuator to upright position
wherein ball 36 is free of elements 18. When the drawer is
fully home, the pin 40 remains in ~lot 30, at or near the
bottom thereof. As the drawer is moved toward open
condition, the pin 40 moves the actuator to the right in
Fig. 2 for instance, and on out of ~lot 30, but leaving the
actuator substantially fixed in position to once more
receive the pin 40 on drawer closing motion, to be returned
to upright position.
